Bus driver steps in to braid girl's hair after her mother dies

There’s not much many little girls love more than wearing cute braids and barrettes to school. Sadly, despite the efforts of Isabella Pieri’s dad, this 11-year-old’s hair was not styled for school the way she wanted it to be, KSL TV reports. Isabella lost her mother to a rare illness two years ago, and she hasn’t had anyone to teach her how to braid her hair. However, she found her very own personal hairstylist in an unexpected place: the school bus. Driver Tracy Dean began offering her styling services to the young girl recently.

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It’s not out of the ordinary for Dean to help her young charges. She often braids and brushes girls’ hair before dropping them off at school. A few months ago, Isabella got up the courage to ask if Dean would braid her hair. Dean transformed her loose waves into a beautiful French braid.

“You treat them like your own kids, you know,” Dean told KLS TV.

Dean was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago, so she has faced the idea of her own children growing up without a mother. One of her first thoughts, she said, was, “Who is going to take care of my little ones? Not that my husband couldn’t do it, but you know, that’s what moms do. They do their kids’ hair.”

For Isabella, Dean has become like a second mom. She said she is excited to see her in the morning, as she braids her hair almost every day, sometimes in a double braid with a pink flower.

Isabella’s dad, Philip Pieri, is thankful.

“Tracy didn’t have to step up, but she stepped up to help out. I was amazed,” he said.

A simple braid has boosted Isabella’s confidence. Even her teachers noticed.

“Her head was a little higher that morning,” her teacher said with a smile, “and she had a little more of a step.”